"Potential hijacking" in progress as Libyan plane lands in Malta

Authorities in Malta are dealing with the “potential hijack” of a Libyan airliner with more than 100 people on board, the country’s prime minister said Friday.

The plane, an internal Libyan flight operated by Afriqiyah Airways, landed at Malta’s international airport, where emergency and security personnel were waiting.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tweeted that he had been “informed of potential hijack situation of a Libya internal flight diverted to Malta. Security and emergency operations standing by.”

In another tweet he said that the plane was carrying 111 passengers, including one infant.